Hunting is an endeavor that tends to pit the survival adaptations of game animals against the skill of a hunter. Many game animals, for example the eastern white tail deer, have particularly acute senses that enable them to readily evade hunters. In addition, deer can move silently among trees and vegetation, and have an uncanny way of blending in with their environment.
Hunters employ a range of skills and techniques to increase the probability of a successful hunt. A skilled hunter often wears clothing and carries gear that is camouflaged to blend in with the environment. The skilled hunter also must be adept at remaining silent and near motionless while waiting for game to move within range of the weapon of choice. Unfortunately, the necessity for remaining as motionless as possible may tend to limit the hunter's field of view. If the hunter turns his or her head to increase the field of view, animals such as deer may be warned by the movement and not venture within range of the hunter's weapon. However, if the hunter remains motionless, thus limiting his field of view, he may be completely unaware of an animal that is somewhat to his rear yet within range. Accordingly, it would be advantageous for a hunter to readily and reliably increase his field of view without movement.
A hunting mirror is disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2004/0125477, published in the name of Carter on Jul. 1, 2004 (“the Carter publication”). The Carter publication discloses an adjustable mirror device that includes a curved mount bracket fastened to an object via an adjustable strap. The adjustable mirror device includes a flexible “gooseneck” coupling extending between the curved mount bracket and a mirror. The flexible coupling includes a number of detachable coupling digits that include mating digit cups and digit balls.
While the hunting mirror disclosed in the Carter publication may offer a hunter an increased field of view, it may do so only to a limited extent. For example, the device of the Carter publication is configured to include only a single mirror, limiting any view to the hunter's rear to a single area at any given adjustment of the device. In addition, the numerous detachable coupling digits of the flexible coupling include no provisions to mitigate the likelihood that individual coupling digits may become dislodged and lost during assembly in a rugged environment such as that in which hunting usually occurs. Further, the Carter publication does not adequately address the significant issues involved in compactly and conveniently transporting such a device into the field.
The disclosed dual view mirror system includes improvements in the existing technology.